Dreadlocks - is it time to cut them off?

Hello bros, I hope that your 2004 is going fine...
This is the "problem": I started my dreadlocks a couple of years ago (I was 20 and short hair). I've never cut them before. Now I'm getting a bit afraid 'cause I know that dreadlocks can cause hair loss sometimes. I like them but I'm afraid to lose my hair (I would be less afraid if I was 40, but GOD, I'm still young! ).
Now my dreads are about 40cm long and look nice. If I cut them I'll can wear my motorcycle helmet without pain, I'll can have a shower with less troubles, I'll give up spending a day to dry the mess after the shampoo... but I fear that I'll not like the way I'll look after the cut. I would want to save some inches of my hair 'cause I don't like short hair (no more, at least). Any ideas? Oh, I forgot to say it: I'm not a Rastafari, I would rather call me a "Gothic-oriented" person, so the locks don't have a religious importance for me. But I wanted them and I've started them from scratch.

Yah, pics would be helpful/cool. Someday I'll get dreads, the huge kind too. It'd be funny because a receding hairline would cause them to fall out one by one that'd be great, just carry it with you and whip people with it or something........but anyway....

keep 'em! dreads are always lovely, whatever anyone else says. i have a few myself (i don't have the full crown going (yet.))
you can always keep them as dreads, but shorten them. i dunno if that solves the problem, but it might help them be manageable...

i want dreads. i have a fairly small head though so it might not look too good. i am only 14 so my head should grow more. i didnt know they made your hair fall out! speaking of hair, i have to get mine cut saturday ! my mom said i can get it cut to grow longer so i figured i would take the deal. right now its 5 inches, so i figure when i grow it out it will be about 6 or 7 which will kick total ass.

Originally posted by fish ate kids i want dreads. i have a fairly small head though so it might not look too good. i am only 14 so my head should grow more. i didnt know they made your hair fall out! speaking of hair, i have to get mine cut saturday ! my mom said i can get it cut to grow longer so i figured i would take the deal. right now its 5 inches, so i figure when i grow it out it will be about 6 or 7 which will kick total ass.

Originally posted by FLOYDtheBARBER keep 'em! dreads are always lovely, whatever anyone else says. i have a few myself (i don't have the full crown going (yet.))
you can always keep them as dreads, but shorten them. i dunno if that solves the problem, but it might help them be manageable...

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listen to him, he's a barber.

I don't have dreads for frankly alot of reason's that are not objective. But I do have long hair, about a foot minimum, looks more like a foot and quarter. It's not annoying at all-except for the hair thats falls to the face-I have to wait till it's really longer for that to stop. But long hair rules. Some reasons for long hair is to not look like a cop, non-conforment, keeps your head warmer, and every cool musician has had long hair at one point in there life.

Well, I'm NOT losing my hair, but I think that it could happen. Besides I didn't think to shave my head but I would want to save some inches of "undreaded" hair to start making them grow in the usual way
I'm on the Goth side... I would love to have black hair BUT I don't think that a hair dye would be a good idea...

I'm growing my hair out, I don't know if I'll dread, but it's crossed my mind. One of the great things is they aren't high maintance as someone suggested. It's like having long hair, but you don't have to style it, which I think is pretty cool. I don't know if I'm a dread guy yet, but we'll see.